News

Selectmen Learn Town Pension Is 'In Good Health'

By John Voket

Published: September 18, 2014 12:00 am

Following a brief update to the Board of Selectmen by the Town’s Pension Committee and representatives from Westport Resources, which administers the fund, Finance Director Robert Tait pronounced the ...

Newtown Foundation Seeking Support For December Vigil

Published: September 17, 2014 12:00 am

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Thursday, December 11, a service of mourning and loving remembrance for all who have fallen victim to the ongoing epidemic of gun violence will take place at the National Cathedr...

Ben's Lighthouse Beacon Beckons Local Woman To Come Full Circle

By Nancy K. Crevier

Published: September 15, 2014 12:00 am

Kelly Paredes is settling not only into her new position as program manager of Ben’s Lighthouse, but resettling into the community she once called home, graduating from Newtown High School in 1998. Al...

Dedication Ceremony Kicks Off Memorial Sidewalk Project

By Nancy K. Crevier

Published: September 13, 2014 12:00 am

Victoria Boshell pushed her 20-month-old daughter, Emma, in a bright pink carriage up Church Hill Road near Main Street, Wednesday morning, September 10, as traffic whizzed past. “We live on Academy L...

Wetlands Panel Opens Public Hearing On Cluster Development

By Eliza Hallabeck

Published: September 12, 2014 12:00 am

The Inland Wetlands Commission (IWC) convened its hearing on a proposed 23-lot cluster-style residential subdivision in Dodgingtown on Wednesday evening, September 10. About 40 people attended to comm...

BOS, BOF Approve Demolition Of Hawleyville Fire Scene

By John Voket

Published: September 12, 2014 12:00 am

Newtown taxpayers will foot the $29,000 bill to demolish what is left of a burned-out home, and to clean up the now abandoned and blighted property at 31 Great Hill Road in Hawleyville. The remains of...

Finance Board Approves $47K For District's 'Nonlapsing' Account

By John Voket

Published: September 12, 2014 12:00 am

During its regular meeting September 8, the Board of Finance approved contributing $47,185 the school district compiled from dozens of smaller line item surpluses in the 2013-14 budget, to a nonlapsin...

NFA Celebrates 90 Years: Lightning Crashes Sunset Wine Tasting

By Kendra Bobowick

Published: September 12, 2014 12:00 am

Even Mother Nature joined the Newtown Forest Association’s (NFA) 90th anniversary Sunset Wine Tasting celebration Saturday, September 6. Lightning cut the darkened sky, driving many guests home. Sudde...

Key Rock Road Speed Issue Under Review

By Andrew Gorosko

Published: September 12, 2014 12:00 am

Police officials plan to research whether adding more “speed tables” to the northern section of Key Rock Road would solve a motorist speeding problem there. That speeding occurs when westbound drivers...

Llodra, Erardi To Governor's 12/14 Panel: Newtown 'Rebuilding With Dignity'

By John Voket

Published: September 12, 2014 12:00 am

First Selectman Pat Llodra and School Superintendent Joseph Erardi, Jr appeared before Governor Dannel P. Malloy’s Sandy Hook Advisory Commission Friday, September 12, at the Legislative Office Buildi...

The Way We Were

Silver Alert For Blue McGrath Ended

Top Of The Mountain

Cargo Van Driver Taken To Hospital Following Collision With Gas Tanker

Knotweed Initiative Program Planned

Well that is some spin. The Democrats have a super majority on the LC and passed the Education Budget without serious consideration of if the voters could afford the multi million dollar increase. "Was the request justified?" rather than "is this needed?" and "can the voters shoulder yet another large increase?" The voters rightly sent it back. Then for some reason all the discussion around reductions to the increase seemed to be coming from the classroom, rather than administration and overhead costs. Is this a coercive tactic to manipulate parents into supporting the budget like tacit threat of cutting freshman sports was two years ago? Who believes the Democrats did not caucus privately before the meeting and came in with a number already worked out? This is the Dems budget, they own it.

Education Cuts: Who Voted For What

I think it is important that we do not villainize every black box seen around a home, business, farm, or municipal property. A black exterior station does not always mean rat poison is being used. These stations can hold a number of different products, including monitoring blocks, snap traps, non-toxic bait, anti-tick bait stations, organic salt- or cornmeal-based control products, and newer fertility-control approaches intended to reduce rodent populations without traditional poisons. The better conversation, in my opinion, is not simply “black boxes are bad,” but rather: what is inside them, who is maintaining them, and whether the rodent issue is being managed responsibly. Exclusion, sanitation, trapping, habitat reduction, and careful monitoring should all be part of a responsible IPM strategy. To be fair, on my own property I do use rodenticides, including Bromethalin and Bromadiolone, in secured bait stations. But that is a choice I make for my property, based on my circumstances and the risk I am trying to manage. I also believe property owners should understand the tradeoffs and be encouraged to use the least harmful effective method whenever possible. I support protecting Newtown’s wildlife. I also support giving residents accurate information and not assuming that every black box represents reckless or unsafe pest control. The goal should be responsible rodent management, not fear of the box itself.

Discusses Policy Against Rodenticides

Debora, thank you! I accidentally doubled the project prices by adding the bond to the appropriation. Thank you so much for catching that and pointing it out. With the corrected numbers, the voters approved a combined $1.32 million for a salt shed ($600k) and library pavement ($720k), while rejecting the $1.12 million replacement turf. Regarding the 80s, I truly respect the hurdle of 14% mortgage rates. My point is simply that the math has shifted: in 1980, while the rates were higher, the price of a home relative to earnings was significantly lower. We are facing a different, but equally crushing, financial wall. Ultimately, it is disheartening that voters who recognized safe sidewalks and parking lots as essential, dismissed a playing field in the exact same condition. The turf has passed its life cycle and is just as much of a liability as the library’s pavement, the only difference is that this safety concern affects thousands of children who, coincidentally, cannot vote. These are apples-to-apples needs. I was hopeful our community would agree that all Newtown residents deserve safe conditions, regardless of which facility they utilize. Again, I would be remiss not to mention that when 82% of residents don’t show up, we have to deal with the interests of those who did. Hopefully, the next referendum will have a bigger turnout.

The ‘Me’ Generation

Thanks for the reply. I meant the numbers you presented in your letter. I found one place where other numbers were listed: https://www.newtownbee.com/04232026/get-out-and-vote-on-the-2026-27-proposed-municipal-and-school-budgets/?q=\\\%22advisory%20questions\\\%22. In that article, the numbers were cited as: Treadwell field: $1,125,000 Library: $720,000 Salt Storage: $600,000 As one who started out in the early 80's when inflation was double digits, my 1985 mortgage rate was 14%, and child care costs were comparable (in present value), I shared your grief but never considered the voters ironic or shameful. PS. I agree college tuition is ridiculous. Thankfully, universities are offering (or considering) waiving all or most tuition for middle class families (upwards of $200,000 incomes). Hopefully, they'll also reconsider their need for those funds in the first place.

The ‘Me’ Generation

Sure! Child care costs: https://www.ffyf.org/2022/10/13/data-child-care-prices-continue-to-rise-ahead-of-midterm-elections-outpacing-inflation/ (also from 2021-2025 we had 2 children in a local daycare in Newtown and it cost us $3200 a month, so that's a number I am very familiar with) Home price / median price vs income source: https://www.jchs.harvard.edu/home-price-income-ratios Tuition increase vs inflation: https://feed.georgetown.edu/access-affordability/noting-a-decline-in-middle-class-students-colleges-provide-more-aid/ Hope this helps :)

The ‘Me’ Generation

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